Uzbekistan

The Mongol Period

The Mongol invasion of Central Asia is one of the turning points in the
history of the region. That event left imprints that were still
discernible in the early twentieth century. The Mongols had such a lasting
impact because they established the tradition that the legitimate ruler of
any Central Asian state could only be a blood descendant of Chinggis Khan.

The Mongol conquest of Central Asia, which took place from 1219 to 1225,
led to a wholesale change in the population of Mawarannahr. The conquest
quickened the process of Turkification in the region because, although the
armies of Chinggis Khan were led by Mongols, they were made up mostly of
Turkic tribes that had been incorporated into the Mongol armies as the
tribes were encountered in the Mongols' southward sweep. As these armies
settled in Mawarannahr, they intermixed with the local populations,
increasingly making the Iranians a minority. Another effect of the Mongol
conquest was the large-scale damage the warriors inflicted on cities such
as Bukhoro and on regions such as Khorazm. As the leading province of a
wealthy state, Khorazm was treated especially severely. The irrigation
networks in the region suffered extensive damage that was not repaired for
several generations.